Harness for airmen



Dec. 1, 1964 J. MARTIN 3,159,241

HARNESS FOR AIRMEN Filed July 12, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet l I rwenlor (77/155 EXT/am T/A/ J. MARTIN HARNESS FOR AIRMEN 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 12, 1965 lnvenlor J. MARTIN HARNESS FOR AIRMEN Dec. 1, .1964

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 12, 1963 mum will.

lnvenlor V (jg/v55 ffsae 774 United States Patent 3,159,241 HARNESS FOR AIRMEN James Martin, South Lands Manor, South Lands Road,

This invention concerns harnesses for airmen.

It is not unknown for an airman descending by parachute to fail to reach ground level as a result of entanglement of his parachute with a tree or other obstruction. In such cases it can happen that the airman is suspended by his parachute in a position from which he cannot descend unaided, and an object of the present invention is to provide a harness arrangement by means of which an airman in such predicament may safely descend to ground level. v

In accordance with the present invention an airmans harness comprises a hip strap adapted to encircle the hips of an airman and terminating in a loop at each of its ends, said strap having secured thereto a pair of crutch straps extending through the respective loops at the ends of the hip strap and terminating at a first buckle part, the hip strap further having secured thereto a pair of shoulder straps adapted to extend over the shoulders of the airman and terminating in a second buckle part adapted releasably to be secured to said first buckle part, one of said buckle parts carrying a friction device for co-operation with a lowering line one end of which is adapted to be attached to the airmans parachute.

With the aid of such a harness, an airman whose parachute becomes entangled in, for instance, a tree may release himself from the parachute and descend on the lowering line at a rate controlled by said friction device.

Conveniently, said pair of crutch straps is constituted by a single webbing or like strip to which the first buckle part is attached near the mid-point in the length of such strip, the ends of this strip being secured to the hip strap, preferably at spaced-apart locations on the hip strap. The shoulder straps may likewise be constituted by a single webbing or like strip corresponding attached to the second buckle part and having its ends secured to the hip strap directly or by attachment to the corresponding ends of the crutch straps.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second buckle parts together comprise a buckle through which the respective strips are threaded so as to be freely movable through the buckle, the two buckle parts being secured together by a quick-release mechanism.

Preferably, the harness may include a pouch adapted to be positioned at the back of an airman wearing the harness and to contain the lowering line, one end of which is led from the pouch to follow one of the shoulder straps to the region of the second buckle part where it extends through the friction device (preferably carried by the second buckle part) and thence to an attachment by means of which such end may be releasably attached to a convenient part of the airmans parachute harness. The pouch may have loops for stowing the lowering line in a manner similar to the manner in which the rigging lines of a parachute are stowed in a parachute pack, the arrangement preferably being such that the bulk of the lowering line is stowed at the lateral ends of the pouch to reduce the overall projection of the latter from the back of an airman wearing the harness.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood, one embodiment of a harness will now be described by way of example with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of an airman wearing a harness and descending by means of a lowering line;

FIGURE 2 is a frontlelevation of the harness shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the harness of FIGURES 1 and 2.

In this embodiment the harness comprises a hip strap generally designated 1 terminating in a loop at each of its ends, said strap having secured thereto a pair of crutch strap portions 2, 3 extending through the respective loops. Respective ends of the crutch strap portions are integrally connected at a first buckle part 4. Shoulder strap portions 5 and 6 are secured to the hip strap 1, these shoulder strap portions being adapted to extend over the shoulders of an airman Wearing the harness. Respective ends of the shoulder strap portions are integrally connected in a second buckle part 7 which carries a friction device 8 for co-operation with a lowering line. The two buckle parts are releasably connected by a projection 7' on the buckle part 7 which is normally retained in the part 4 by detents 4' under the urging of springs (not shown).

The friction device 8 comprises a framework which carries a series of rollers or bars over which said lowering line passes. I I

In this arrangement the two crutch strap portions 2, 3 are constituted by a single length of webbing threaded for free movement in a slot in the first buckle part 4, which is positioned near the mid-point in the length of such webbing, the end of this strip being secured to the hip strap 1 at spaced-apart locations 9. p

The two shoulder strap portions 5, 6 are similarly constituted by a single length of webbing threaded for free movement in a slot in the second buckle part 7, the ends of this webbing being secured to the hip strap 1 directly or by attachment to the corresponding ends of the crutch straps 2 and 3.

To facilitate donning the harness, an easily releasable buckle 10 is provided in the shoulder strap portions 6. Similarly, buckles 11 and 12 are provided in the hip strap 1. A further buckle 13 is provided in the crutch strap for altering the overall size of the harness.

The harness also includes a pouch 14 which is adapted to be positioned on the back of the airman wearing the harness. This pouch normally houses a lowering line 15, one end of which is secured to the harness and the free end of which is led from the pouch to follow one of the shoulder strap portions to the region of the second buckle part 7, where it extends through the friction device 8. The free end of the line 15 carries a clip 16 by means of which the line 15 may be secured to a convenient part of the airmans parachute harness. Such parachute harness and other equipment such as, for example, a life jacket, have been omitted from the drawings for the sake of clarity. The lowering line is lightly sewn to one of the shoulder strap portions to obviate entanglement of the line with other parts of the airmans wearing apparel.

The pouch 14 is provided with loops for stowing the lowering line in a manner similar to the manner in which the rigging lines of a parachute are stowed in a parachute pack, the arrangement being such that the bulk of the lowering line 15 is stowed at the lateral ends of the pouch 14 to reduce the overall projection of the latter from the back of the airman wearing the harness.

A slide fastener 17 and closure flap 18, for use when packing the line in the pouch 14, are also provided.

With such a harness, if an airman should descend by parachute from his aircraft and fail to reach ground '3 level as a result of entanglement ,of his parachute with a tree or other obstruction, he may merely release himself from his parachute harness and descend by means of the lowering line 15 (attached to the parachute harness) at a rate governed by said friction device.

I claim:

.1.- An airmans harness comprising:

(a) a hip strap dimensioned to encircle the hips of an airman;

(b) a loop at each end of said hip strap;

(c) a pair of crutch strap meanssecured to said hip strap and extending through the respective loops of said hip strap;

(d) a pair of shoulder strap means secured to said hip strap and adapted vto extend over the shoulders of said airman; V

(e) a first buckle part carried by said crutch strap means at the ends thereof; 7

(f) a second buckle part carried by said shoulder strap means at the ends thereof, said first and second buckle parts being formed for releasable interengagement;

g a friction device on one said buckle part; and

(h) a lowering line adapted'for attachment to a parachute harness and co-operating with said friction device. I a

2. Anairmans harness according to claim l, wherein said pair ofvcrutch strap means is constituted by a single strip to which said first buckle part is attached near the mid-point in the length of such strip, and wherein the ends of this strip are secured to-the hip strap.

3. An airmans harness according to claim 1, wherein the pair of shoulder strap means is constituted by a single strip attached to said second buckle part and having its ends secured to the hip strap.

4. An airmans harness according to claim 1, including a releasable buckle in one shoulder strap means to facilitate donningof the harness.

5. An airmans harness according to claim 1 including a pair of buckles in the hip strap to facilitate donning of the harness.

6. An airmans harness according to claim 1, wherein the crutch strap means are freely movable with respect to the first buckle part and the shoulder strap meansare .freely movable with respect to the second buckle part, the harness includingran adjustment buckle in one of the crutchstrap means whereby the overall size of the harness may be altered.

7. An airman s harness according to claim 1, including a pouch adapted to be positioned-at the back of an airman wearinga harness, said pouchserving to house the lowerling line;

8. An airmans harness according to claim 1, wherein the second buckle part carries the friction device, the :latter comprising a framework :for mounting a series of rollers or bars over which said lowering line passes.

2,287,812 Manson June30, 1942 Kalish etal. May 9, 1933' V 

1. AN AIRMAN''S HARNESS COMPRISING: (A) A HIP STRAP DIMENSIONED TO ENCIRCLE THE HIPS OF AN AIRMAN; (B) A LOOP AT EACH END OF SAID HIP STRAP; (C) A PAIR OF CRUTCH STRAP MEANS SECURED TO SAID HIP STRAP AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE RESPECTIVE LOOPS OF SAID HIP STRAP; (D) A PAIR OF SHOULDER STRAP MEANS SECURED TO SAID HIP STRAP AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND OVER THE SHOULDER OF SAID AIRMAN; (E) A FIRST BUCKLE PART CARRIED BY SAID CRUTCH STRAP MEANS AT THE ENDS THEREOF; (F) A SECOND BUCKLE PART CARRIED BY SAID SHOULDER STRAP MEANS AT THE ENDS THEREOF, SAID FIRST AND SECOND BUCKLE PARTS BEING FORMED FOR RELEASABLE INTERENGAGEMENT; (G) A FRICTION DEVICE ON ONE SAID BUCKLE PART; AND (H) A LOWERING LINE ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO A PARACHUTE HARNESS AND CO-OPERATING WITH SAID FRICTION DEVICE. 